winifredcreamer

The Glaoui Palace

A peculiar sight in the Fez medina is the Glaoui palace. The lavish home of a pasha of the early 20th century, the Glaoui family sided with the French and were stripped of all their properties when Morocco achieved independence. For reasons that are completely mystifying, the family palace in Fez has lain unused forContinue reading “The Glaoui Palace”

Our last week in Fez

So many loose ends, so little time. We took a couple more of the walks in the guidebook, “Fez from Bab to Bab.” We passed a tassel seller. One of the walks took us through the Jnane Sbil, a beautiful garden near the Royal Palace. This month is perfectContinue reading “Our last week in Fez”

Chefchaouen, a blue city

There isn’t much to do in Chefchaouen, other than admire the lovely blue color painted on many buildings. There is a mosque that can be visited after an uphill walk, a waterfall, and a walk downhill from the waterfall along the wall of the medina. You can stroll in the medina admiring the walls, havingContinue reading “Chefchaouen, a blue city”

Souk Hebdomadaire, Weekly market in Azrou

The same day we visited the macaques (see previous post), we stopped at the souk hebdomadaire in Azrou. This is a traditional weekly market where vendors put up tents or canopies and sell all kinds of goods. A lively functioning market has to deal in goods people really want and in Azrou that ranges fromContinue reading “Souk Hebdomadaire, Weekly market in Azrou”

Barbary Macaques in Ifrane, a biologist might tear his/her hair

We all love monkeys because they remind us of ourselves. Who wouldn’t want to visit a group distinctive for living in the mountains of Morocco and Algeria, along with a colony in Gibraltar that makes the news now and then? (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/11/gibraltar-barbary-macaques-deported-scottish-safari-park-blair-drummond) It is easy to see the groups that live in the Ifrane National ParkContinue reading “Barbary Macaques in Ifrane, a biologist might tear his/her hair”

Fantasia, a Moroccan sport

Fantasia, or cavalry charge, is the name given to a popular Moroccan sport and neither name does justice to the event, which is a cross between a game of “chicken” and a battle from Game of Thrones. We went to Tissa, where a well known Fantasia and horse fair are held every September. We watchedContinue reading “Fantasia, a Moroccan sport”

Modern medieval in the Medina

A medina is a walled city, very exotic for a visitor, and it’s easy to forget that medieval here isn’t just an adjective. In Fez, this means that many buildings are hundreds of years old, maybe their foundations really are a thousand years old. I find that close to unimaginable. When Fez was founded, theContinue reading “Modern medieval in the Medina”

Romans in Morocco at Volubilis

There may be nowhere more beautiful than a Roman ruin on a spring day and Volubilis, one of Morocco’s best known archaeological sites, was perfect for us. Volubilis was abandoned by the Romans in AD 285, but not by the local community, who lived there for another 700 years. The site has little new constructionContinue reading “Romans in Morocco at Volubilis”

We find a photography gallery off the beaten path: Dar Balmira

While at the Cafe clock, we saw a poster for an exhibit of historic photos of Fez from the early 20th century that have been restored and reprinted. The gallery is not far from our riad and is in a restored riad, so we decided a field trip was in order. We found our wayContinue reading “We find a photography gallery off the beaten path: Dar Balmira”

A Moroccan Wine Tasting

There is a thriving wine industry in Morocco, mostly consumed domestically. It is possible to purchase wine in this Moslem country at the “Cave” or wine cellar at the Carrefour grocery store. (We also heard that the Marjane chain of grocery stores ended liquor sales and found their overall business dropped 20-25%.) We planned toContinue reading “A Moroccan Wine Tasting”